Railway-track instrument



June 2, 1925.

R. A. FRY

RAILWAY TRACK INSTRUMENT Filed June 25, 1923 EL l Patented June 2, 1925.

'UNITED STTQES "ROY A. FRY, F OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

RAILXVY-TBACK INSTRUMENT.

Application filed June 23,1923. Serial No. 47,359.

To all whom t may concer/n Be it known that l, Ro A. FRY, a citizen of the United States, resid-ingiat Omaha, in the -county of Douglas and State ol Nebraska, have invented certain new and use-v tul Improvements in' Railway-'Track Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invent-.ion rela-tes to railway signalling devices, and partioularly 'to track-instruments suoli. as are employed for controlling .crossing-signals and the like, by closing;` or opening an electrical circuit upon the .approach of atrainto the crossing. lt is the object ol" my invent-ion to provide a simple, inexpensive and `positively operated trackinstrument. lietuated solely by the detleetion ot ay track-rail under tlieweight of .a locomotive or ca1,=wliereby to insure durability of the mechanism, due to the elimination or" hammering blows alpen the parts by the impact ot wheels thereon, and 'to insure stab-iloi adjust-ment dine tothe uniformity of action of the 'relatively movable parts 'which acluate the ,meehanisnm A Jfurther object of my iinventionr-.is to provide a track-instrument ot the general oharaoter vabove stated, which may vbe Venn-iiployed to give a-selective f'indieation, .dependent upon the vdireetion'of movement of the rail1deflectingbody.

ln.theaccompsnyring drawings, Fig. 1 is a side view of .a track-instnument embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is a detail side View ot a portion -fof the same, with the side-plate or cover removed, Fig. Suis a ydetail side viewof the jack-switch, Fig. 4 isa transverse `seetion of the tradi-rail yon the line 4-4 of Fig. l, showing the track-instrument in end elevation, Fig. is va detail transverse-section on theline 5 5 of Fig. 2, Fig. 6 is a detail side View of the tilting leveryand Fig. 7 .is a `detail horizontal sectiony on the line 7-7 of Fig. 4.

In carrying out my invention l malte yuse of the `Well-known fact that'a railway` trat-l: is appreciably deeotod during the passage of a locomotive or car along the-same, regardless -ot the size of therails -orofthe Condition, .as to solidity or otherwise, of the roadbed. Such rail-deileetions have lbeen heretofore utilized for the operation of track-instruments,,by devices which amplify the lrelative movements of the rails and ties, or of the railand some other member Vwhich is supported upon the roadbed so as :to kbe substantially independent ot the trat-li proper. The movements 'of the track-rails relative to the ties or. roadbed are variable,

Vboth asto the amount-ot moei-on rand as to the normal positions oi'V :the parts assumed when tlief rails are.v enot loaded, vraccording` to the condition of they roadbed and-.the rigid-ity ot the t'astenings between the rails yand ties` so that it ditticu-lt.topnovidel instruments capable of utilizing -suclimovements .to give a dependable sig/nal.. indication,*without constant inspection and re-aidjustmtmtsy to Gorn- Alpensate for the variations. .'lloavoid. the difficulties above mentionedyl so `construct my track-instrument v.as .tio vart-nate ithe :same solely .by the actualdetlection ,of the trackrail between definitely spaeed-points thereon,..is shown rby the motion lot. the rai-.linterniediiate said points relative toa` rigid beam which is lixedly connected `withr aand `supported. upon the rail Vat said. points.

le'erring to the drawings, the-reis represented one loi the. railstl-.oflarailway track, which rests upon 'and is `secured .toties .or sleepers 9 aibn the usual way. Alongside the .rail there is disposed the rigid bridge-beam ith-which may be-a rolled steelI-beatm, said 'beam 1()y being supported iatwits ends only, Whiclia-re seoured toY therail by means of bol tsE 1l passi-ng through. the web portions of the beam and rail, the-websbeingheld `in properly spaced' relation by means of. sleeves or spreader-s l2, as indieated im Fig. 4. yThe -upper side .of thefbeam Al() is =arnenough below .the .treadoriup-per.face-of the rail to avoidfpos rbilityof theY beambeling engaged by any portion of y.the .wheels yot a train .passing` along the track. The lengthof the beam l() is made -sueh that when'the 'rail is vde- Vfleoted by the-weight otra ear `or locomotive upon the span intermediate the beam-snpporting Vpoints or bolts ll, there will be. an appreciable relative `inovementiof said intermediate portions of the rail and beam, due v'to the tact that the beam-.will .not be deflected bysi-ipporting any. portion of` the. load. ln practice, it is found that with standard railway track,constructionawlength oit twelve `feet bet-Ween the'rail-sup-ported points of the bridge-beam .10i isasuff'ticient to secure effective .operation of the mechanism.

To `operate the signal-controlling devices, the .relative movements ,not 'the frail and bridge-beam are amplified by .means of levers i3 yand lil. Said levers are pivoted onv the outer side et the bridge-beam, at points intermediate the center and ends .of said beam,

by means of pins 14 aflixed to and extending laterally from the web of the beam, as shown. The levers are preferably L-shaped in transverse section and may be formed from rolled steel angle-bars, the vertical flanges thereof being tapered or gradually reduced from the pivoted ends toward the free or movable ends of the levers, and the extreme end portions 15 and 15 being pointed and curved slightly downward, said portions 15 and 15 being adjacent to each other as shown. The lateral extent of the levers 13and 13 is such that they do not project beyond' the outer flanges of the bridgebeam 10, and preferably a cover-plate 16 is secured against the edges of said flanges, as shown, to form a protective housing for the levers and the parts associated therewith. Adjacent to the pivoted end of each lever vthere is a vertical bolt 17 which passes loosely'through the horizontal flange of the lever and extends slidably through an opening in the lower flange of the beam 10. The lower end of the bolt is connected with the rail by means of the clamp-bracket shown in Figs: 4 and 7, said bracket comprising a bar 18 which passes beneath the rail and has a hooked end-portion fitting about the opposite flange thereof, a second bar 19 having an offset portion which engages the upper side of the adjacent rail-flange, and a screw 20 which secures together the laterally projectingportions of the bars. Between the clamp-screw 20 and the rail-flange the bars 18 and 19 have registering slots 21 through which the bolt 17 extends. At points intermediate the bolts 17 and the curved ends 1.5*15 of the levers, the horizontal flanges of' the latter have openings for the passage of bolts 22. Said bolts extend through the upper flange of the bridge-beam 10, so as to be suspended therefrom, and at their lower ends are provided with adjusting-nuts 23. Between said nuts and 'the lower sides of the levers are coil spring 24 which press upwardly upon the levers and normally hold the movable ends'15-15 up against the upper flange of the beam 10. Downward movement of the levers is limited by pins 25 and 25 ,which project laterally from the web of the bridge-beam beneath 'the lever-ends 15 and 15', as best indicated in Fig. 6. It will be seen that a very slight depression of the rail relative to the bridge-beam at points adjacent yto the connecting-bolts 17, will result in a greatly amplified movement at the ends 15-15 of the levers. Should such movement be more than enough to carry the leverendsfromthe upper stop, formed by the flange of the bridge-beam, to 'the lower stop formed by the'pins 25-25, the excess movement is accommodated by a slight bending of the lever's,`which should be of material sufliciently resilient to permit such bending without permanent distortion.

On the web of the bridge-beam 10 beneath the ends 15-15 of the levers, there is a laterally projecting pin 26 on which is pivotally mounted a tilting-lever having substantially horizontal arms 27 and 28, and a vertical arm 29 of which the upper end is divided to form fingers 3() and 30 having oppositely curved inner sides. A coil spring 3l is connected with the end of the arm 27 and extends to a pin 32 mounted on the beam 10, the tension of said spring normally holding the lever in a position such that the curved inner faces of the fingers and 30 are directly beneath the end portions 15-15 of the levers, but the spring permitting movement of the tilting-lever in either direction froml said normal position. The third lever-arm 28 carries a block 33 of insulating material adapted to engage the spring 34 of a jack-switch. In the structure shown the jack-switch consists of a pair of insulating blocks 35 which are secured to the side of the beam 10, the spring 34 being clamped between them, springs 36 and 37 being secured respectively upon the upper and lower sides of the blocks, 'the springs and blocks being held together by bolts 38 and 39 which are electrically connected, respectively, with the upper and lower springs and insulated from the other springs. The

springs 34, 36 and 37 may form the terminals of electrical circuits for controlling any desired signal mechanism, and in the illustrated structure a circuit is normally closed between the springs 34 and 36, and normally open between the springs 34 and 37. In the lower flange cf the beam 10 is a nipple 40 through which the wires 41 from the jack-switch are carried.

The operation of the mechanism will be apparent from Figs. 2 and 6. A wheel A moving to the left along the rail 8, as indicated at the right of Fig. 2, will first cause a deflection of that portion of the rail adjacent to the amplifying-lever 13, so that the end 15 of said lever will be moved downwardly to engage the adjacent finger 30' of the tiltin -lever, causing said lever to be tilted to t e right, wherebythe arm 28 will be moved downward, the insulating block 33 engaging the spring 34 of the j ack-switch and bending said spring to disengage the same from the contact-spring 36 and engaging the same with the spring 37. When the wheel has moved pastV the center of the bridge-beam, as to the position B indicated by dotted lines in also be actuated and moved down to the dotted-line position shown in said figure. Such movement of the lever 13 will not engage the end 15 with the tilting-lever, however, because of the previous movement of the tilting-lever, which is maintained in its Fig. 2, the lever 13 will the lever 13. In the case of a wheel moving in the opposite direction, the lever 13 iS lirst depressed, the tilting-lever being thereby moved to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. G, and the subsequent movement ot the lever 13 having no effect. It will thus be seen that the tilting-lever operated selectively, according to the direction otl movement olt the rail-defiecting body, and such selective operation ot the tiltinglever may be employed to operate a jackswitch or any other suitable t'leviee through which the control ot' signal mechanism or the like may be effected.

Now, having described my invention. what l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a railway tracli-instrument, the combination with a track-rail, ot a long` rigid beam disposed alongside the rail, means fixedly connecting the ends olf said loeam with adjacent parts of the rail, an ampiifying-lever tulcrumed on said beam, and means connecting with the rail a part ot' said lever adjacenty to its tulcrum` whereby a slight relative movement ol the rail and beam at the point ot' said connection may etiect a large movement of the Vt'rec end ot the lever.

2. ln a railway track-instrument, the combination with a track-rail, of a long bridge-bezint havingl its ends tixedly secured to the rail and being supported wholly thereby, levers tulcrumed on said bridge-beam and connected with the rail so as to be actuated successively by deflections ot the rail from a moving load thereon, and means actuated b v said levers selectively according to the direction ot' movement of the rail-dellecting load.

3. ln a railway track-instrument, the combination with a track-rail, of a long bridgebeam disposed alongside the rail and supported wholly thereon by tixed connections between the same at the ends ot the bridgebeam, levers fulcrumed on the bridge-beam at longitudinally spaced points intermediate its ends, the Ylree ends of said levers being movable in proximity to each other, means connecting portions ot' the levers adjacent to the fulcrums thereof with the contiguous portions of the rail, whereby detiections of the rail relative to the bridge-beam will actuate said levers, and means positioned near the free adjacent ends of said levers and movable oppositely thereby, whereby upon actuation by either ot the levers said means will be displaced trom the path ot the other lever.

4. In a railway track-instrument, the combination with a track-rail, ot a long rigid beam disposed alongside said rail, means tixedly connecting the ends ot' said beam with the rail to support` the same thereon, amplifying levers fulcrumed on said beam at points intermediate the ends and center thereof, said levers havingl terminal portions adjacent to the center of the, beam, means for connecting` to the rail portions of the levers adjacent to the i'ulcrums thereof so that slight movements of the rail relative to the beam will cause larger movements of the terminal portions ot the levers, and a tilting lever positioned so as to be normally engageable by the terminal portion of either of the amplifying levers, said tilting lever being movable by either amplit'ying lever to a position at which it is not engageable by the other.

In a railway track-instrument, a pair of amplifyingI levers havingl adjacent terminal portions, means connecting said levers with longitudinally spaced portions ot a track-rail, whereby the levers are actuated successively by progressive detiection of the rail such as caused by the movement of a load along the same, a tilting lever positioned in proximity to said terminal portions of the amplifying levers, resilient means normally holding a part of the tilting lever in position for engagement b v either of said terminal portions and arranged to enable movement ot said lever in either direction from said normal position, and means actuated by said tilting` lever selectively according t the direction ot' `movement thereo'lI trom said normal position.

ROY A. Fll Y 

